Now in its third year, the BizTimes Milwaukee Education Spotlight aims to connect the region’s business community with educators serving students in the city of Milwaukee. The goal is to create more support and engagement in education across public, charter and choice schools, ultimately leading to more student success and a stronger workforce for the future.
Northwestern Mutual chairman and chief executive officer Tim Gerend will be the keynote speaker at the event, which takes place Thursday, Feb. 27, from 2 to 6:30 p.m. at the Italian Community Center in Milwaukee. Gerend spoke with BizTimes ahead of the event, sharing his own experiences and why education is a priority issue for the company.
BizTimes: How have you personally been involved in the Milwaukee education landscape?
Tim Gerend: “My focus on education started with an experience of my own. During high school, I lived in Rockford, Illinois, and attended a public school with what today would likely be called a magnet program. I had a long bus ride to an unfamiliar neighborhood and most of the kids didn’t look like me. My parents encouraged me because they wanted me to get the best education possible. And I did. I learned a lot from this experience. I believe that a great education is the most valuable thing we can give our children. Every child deserves the opportunity to learn, and great schools can exist anywhere.
“I’m grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to get involved in education in Milwaukee. Specifically, I joined the board of Milwaukee College Prep nine years ago. I love the fact that they don’t think your zip code is your destiny. Along with others, they’ve proven that we can have high performing schools that also serve urban families. It takes a lot of work: strong leadership, great administrators, caring educators, a culture that reinforces high expectations, and committed parents. The results speak for themselves. Attendance rates are above 90% – higher than most similar schools. And all four campuses continually receive ‘exceeds expectations’ or higher on state report cards.”
What would your message be to other business leaders who are considering getting more involved in the education landscape?
“In short, it’s an imperative for us and good for the city. As employers in Milwaukee, we need a skilled and educated workforce. We also need great schools to attract current and next generation talent who increasingly will make career and family choices based on personal and lifestyle considerations. The future of the Milwaukee community and workforce is reliant upon the next generation. That’s why finding opportunities to set students up for success through high-quality education only strengthens our city’s collective appeal, and the future business prospects for Milwaukee-committed companies.
“While we recognize not every business may have the funding or resources to make large-scale investments, there is no contribution too big or too small. There’s a variety of ways to get involved – offering an internship or providing mentoring and tutoring services through partners like Big Brothers Big Sisters. The bottom line is that working together will create a stronger impact on our shared community.”
Do you think there are any key similarities or differences business leaders and educators face in their work?
“Business leaders think not only about their customers, but the contributions they make in the communities they serve. We have a strong desire to recruit and retain the best workforce while also advancing the cities in which our employees and financial advisors live and work. In order to achieve this, we need to invest in future generations and that parallels an educator mindset. Today’s students will be the next leaders, team members, innovators and contributors to our organizations. By helping to reduce the education opportunity gap to ensure more quality seats in our schools, we are giving each student the chance to further develop intellectually and socially so they can play an active role in business and society.
“And, when it comes to measuring that impact, educators should take a similar approach to that of business leaders by reviewing data to help inform what’s working, what’s not and where we need to make change to see greater return. That mindset is then instilled in the students they are teaching, so they are understanding how to identify and solve problems, and how to achieve success at a young age. We all are striving towards the goal of growth!
“Another similarity is how we manage highly complex environments with many constituents. For example, at Northwestern Mutual, we have clients, employees and financial advisors whereas educators have students, teachers, administrators, coaches, among others. Being an effective leader requires the ability to bring these groups together to advance solutions with a one-team mentality and advance solutions that serve all stakeholders in the long run.”
The Northwestern Mutual Foundation places an emphasis on education in Milwaukee. Why is that and how do you think about making the most of the foundation’s resources in that area?
“According to a 2024 Wisconsin Policy Forum report, despite the increase in school options for Milwaukee students, the quality of K-12 education in the city remains deficient. One of our guiding principles as a company is that all kids deserve access to quality education. We are making direct investments into quality Milwaukee schools – choice, charter and public – to increase the number of seats available to students. These quality school seats provide students with solid education so they can become future leaders and engaged community members.
“We’ve also made deliberate choices on who we partner with, placing bets on the schools, leaders, and programming that have demonstrated results. To date, our efforts have supported thousands of students across the city of Milwaukee, through our investment of $67 million. Northwestern Mutual’s investments are building pathways – from early childhood education to employment – that will help talented, yet underrepresented students reach their full potential.”
